New format shakes up SVNS Series as pools confirmed for Cape Town

Following the success of the Dubai Sevens, the HSBC SVNS Series heads to South Africa where Cape Town’s DHL Stadium will host a new-look competition format. The 12 teams will be split across four pools instead of three, with group winners chasing direct semi-final qualification.

All 24 teams across the women’s and men’s competitions have been drawn into their pools for the second SVNS Series stop of the season from December 7 to 8. The Aussie women will come up against an Olympic rival in Pool A, while there are pools of death in the men’s draw.

After triumphing at the Dubai Sevens for the fifth tournament on the bounce, Australia will look to keep the good times going in the Western Cape. The defending SVNS Cape Town winners have been drawn in Pool A with Olympic silver medallists Canada and Brazil.

 

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The Black Ferns Sevens will take on Japan and China in Pool B, while France will test themselves against an ever-dangerous Irish side and Spain. Great Britain, the USA and Fiji make up the fourth and final pool on the women’s side of the draw.

Rankings from the Dubai Sevens determined the pool allegations for the 12 teams in each of the women’s and men’s competitions. Canada’s young side had to settle for eighth in the UAE after falling to Japan 24-22 in the seventh-place playoff, while Brazil finished 10^th.

Those two sides will need to be at their absolute best if they have any chance of recording what would be a stunning upset win over Australia. The Aussies will be full of confidence and belief after beating arch-rivals New Zealand 28-24 in the Dubai Sevens Cup Final on Sunday.

“It’s pretty incredible, I’m sort of lost for words with how I feel right now. I’m on the verge of tears but also laughing and so happy, so proud of the girls and how they showed up tonight and the rest of the tournament,” captain Isabella Nasser said on the RugbyPass TV broadcast.

“We just have such a tight-knit group, The young ones really showed up today, and I’m sure they will the rest of the season. We’ve got such a young, mature group so the best is yet to come so I’m super excited.

“The Black Ferns are always such a hard team to verse; they always show up and it’s always such a good rivalry. They’re such good sport and they’re my favourite team to verse both on and off the field.

“I’m really, really proud of my girls and also such a great game with the Black Ferns.”

The Black Ferns Sevens finished second, France third and Great Britain fourth which is why they’ve been spaced out across the four pools. As the SVNS Series revealed in a press release, the pool winners will advance ‘directly to the semi-finals” which could be crucial.

In the men’s side of the SVNS Series, Dubai champions Fiji will take on a dangerous Great Britain outfit and Uruguay in Pool A. The Fijians brought an end to their long-lasting Cup Final title drought with a 19-5 win over giant-slayers Spain in Sunday’s decider.

The Spaniards showed tremendous skill and flair during the two-day event at Dubai’s The Sevens Stadium as they beat the All Blacks Sevens twice in two days. Captain Pol Pla scored the opener in the Cup Final but it wasn’t to be in the end for Espana who went down swinging.

Spain will take on Henry Hutchison’s Australia and newly promoted Kenya in Pool B. In Pool C, last season’s League winners Argentina will face tournament hosts South Africa and an Irish outfit desperate to bounce back after a disappointing event in Dubai.

While that group could be seen as the pool of death, that unwanted title could also be pinned on Pool D which includes New Zealand, France and the USA. The All Blacks Sevens showed some promise during an inconsistent weekend in the UAE.

Of course, France are the defending overall SVNS Series champions, and they were unfortunate not to progress to the semis in Dubai after falling to Fiji in a thrilling quarter-final. Then there’s the USA, who, like Ireland, will be hungry to make amends.

HSBC SVNS 2025 will see the world’s best women’s and men’s sevens players travel to seven stops around the world in a bid to be crowned world champions. Dubai, Cape Town, Perth, Vancouver, Hong Kong China and Singapore will host the regular season events.

Los Angeles’ Dignity Health Sports Park is the destination for the HSBC SVNS World Championship, which will see the top eight sides battle it out in a winner-takes-all event, and there’s the thrill of various promotion-relegation fights.

WOMEN’S POOLS FOR SVNS CAPE TOWN

POOL A: Australia, Canada and Brazil

POOL B: New Zealand, Japan and China

POOL C: France, Ireland and Spain

POOL D: Great Britain, USA and Fiji

MEN’S POOLS FOR SVNS CAPE TOWN

POOL A: Fiji, Great Britain and Uruguay

POOL B: Spain, Australia and Kenya

POOL C: Argentina, South Africa and Ireland

POOL D: New Zealand, France and USA